Good News: California to Join U.S. Car Titling System; Consumers and Law Enforcement to Benefit
In good news for consumers, the California DMV announced that it would join the National Motor Vehicle Titling Information System (NMVTIS) in 2008. Being part of the system allows the state to instantly verify the validity of out-of-state ownership documents, including the VIN, odometer, and any damage history before issuing a California title. Participation will be an enormous help to law enforcement going after vehicle theft and fraud and it will allow consumers to check a current title and odometer readings.
California had foolishly refused to join NMVTIS saying is own computer system had to be updated first. Now, thanks to excellent lobbying by consumer advocate Rosemary Shahan of the non-profit group Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety, DMV has finally done the right thing. Rosemary reports that DMV will let a contract to Carfax.com or AutoCheck.com (an Experian company) to make the data accessible to consumers over the Internet. This development is truly a great advance in providing vital data to consumers shopping for used cars and trucks.
